Which flowers can I plant now- I live in Virginia? plz help!?

Question

I really want to plant some flowers for my mom preferably today! But I dont know what is good for planting at this time. I know its like mid-summer and I live in VA so its very hot these days - but what pretty flowers can I plant? I really like snapping dragons - I think thats what the're called- can I plant those? Or what can I? THANK YOU!

Answer 1

Snap dragons are okay. They aren't my favorite flowers.

It really depends if you are planting in a sunny area or shady area.

Some annuals for sun are:

coleus

marigold

geranium

dahlia

gerbera daisy

cleome

Some shade annuals are:

impatiens

begonias

Answer 2

I would go to your local garden/flower shop (even home depot or even walmart) and ask them. They can tell you what to plant and they can show you.

Answer 3

Ahhhhh another Virginian!!!!!

For those readers who aren't here:

You are now entering Zone 7 and home to all the heat, humidity, and little exoskeletal creatures that a garden can host!  

Gardening here can be a little labor intensive because of our clay, but well worth the effort.  Because of where we are we can really grow just about anything but the tropicals; I've even had some of the sub-tropicals that grow as perennials elswhere, but that people here usually list as "annuals" return the next year if I give them a little extra TLS come winter.  Anyway...

I've looked at the lists your other two answer-ers gave you (at the time that I started typing you only had two)), and what they list are very much what most people grow for a nice, pretty, simple, spring time, garden.  The only problem that I saw in the lists was really minor, and that is that, since most of them are bulbs, they need to go in in the late fall, and only bloom in the spring.  The impatiens and things (actual plants) that they listed are available now, and will continue to bloom given partial sun (and preferably even LESS partial as the heat really starts to get up there) and as long as you water.  But the heat around here can really trick you and with the clay content, unless your really check; it can look wet and be dry, or vice versa.   The ferns....well....I'd stay away from them for now; plant them in the fall, let them settle over winter; and for the most part, they really prefer the deep shade in our heat....but most people forget to water in the woods, so....

Coleous are great: double check these when buying...some like sun, some don't; but either way (since you didn't say if you need which) they are a great color addition to any area of the yard.

Cleome (or Spider Flower) is a fun, happy, old fashioned flower that starts from seed.....once you plant it, you'll find out just how MANY will start from the seeds of the first one that you plant this time.......planter beware!! (but it's a GREAT flower!! Tall, pretty, colorful: just make sure you thin them out if you want other things in your garden)

Gerbra Daisy can be planted any time, any where sunny, with minimal soil amendments, and are a wonderful, happy flower that comes in sooooo many colors.  Now: this is one of those that need to be mulched heavily in the fall, and uncovered in the spring after the soil gets warm: and there still is no guarantee; I mean...it IS a sub tropical....but mine come back as long as they are in the ground.  Nothing comes back from clay pots: we may not get much snow, but those things freeze solid.

Now...my recommendations for this time of year?? For siimplicity of starting at this time of year:  I like the the variety of daisies and day lilies that we can grow here: shasta daisy (and all of it's cousins; like rudbeckia) are at the top of my list.  You can plant them now, have instant color now....and the "cousins"  come in LOTS of colors and heights and the shastas give the white, canvas background:  just remember to lightly water every day as the heat and transplant shock can take it away while you stand there watching!!  But even if this does appear to happen, don't give up and dig it out!  It's more resiliant than you think and just might surprise you by coming back in the springtime!!  

Day lillies are ready to go in the ground and even if they've bloomed once already; you can give them a haircut and most of them will bloom again later!!  Then you can have some 'pretties" that will keep you happy now while you prep the rest of your garden areas for the other perrenials that you want to get in for the fall that will bloom in the spring and early summer....other plants that I'd suggest for next year??  

Sun:  Glads, butterfly bush, bee balm, salvia, yarrow, hyssop, asters, zinnia, dahlia etc...

Partial Shade: Columbine, Soapwort, lungwort, and we have a bunch of cool grasses that do really well here!

Annuals are up to you.  This time of year.....they are few and far between....or vice versa......

I don't know what part of Virginia you are in, so I can't say if you'd be able to get to this place....but they have a really wonderful listing of plants on their web page so you can look and make a list for whatever place you CAN get to........I've put it in the "source" area.

Now...I did note that no one really addressed the snap dragon question...

Snap dragons are my favorite, cottage garden flower!!  A couple of things though.  They are annuals......some people will say "not" because they always seem to come back where they were planted the last year.  They generally re-seed (but not always), and they come in two heights.   They also cross polinate so they are not color true the next year!!

I prefer the tall variety, but sometimes combine both when I'm going heavy on the little guys .  (Pair them with violas and you'll have a cottage garden paradise!!)  Heres the trick to this flower though!  If you want them to bloom in the spring: start the seeds in the fall.  If you want them to bloom in the fall, start the seeds in the spring. Come mid summer, the only ones that are going to be blooming though are the tallers that you've planted in partial shade.....these wonderful little beauties are a northern flower for the most part and wilt in the heat.   I've reached the point where I just scatter the seeds when I dead head and then clip the plant to the ground at hard frost.  You can still get them in the local markets; now they may look a little scruffy, scraggly, and leggy; so get them when they are only in bud, plant them where they'll only get morning sun, and enjoy!!

Good luck and Happy Gardening!!

Answer 4

Here are a few that grow very nicely and because of the hot days now, try planting a bit more in the shade:

HARDY FERNS

Golden Stargazer Lily

g*y Parer Peony

All Summer Beauty Re blooming Hydrangea

TULIPS

GERMAN IRIS

Primrose Lilac

Lemon Lights Azalea

just to name a few......

Good Luck